Rohit Shetty house firing case: Mumbai police file 1,624-page chargesheet against 17 accused

Mumbai police have filed a 1,624-page chargesheet in a special MCOCA court against 17 accused in the Rohit Shetty house firing case in Juhu. Police said the shooting was linked to gang supremacy, with 15 arrests and two wanted accused named, including alleged Lawrence Bishnoi gang associates.

Mumbai Police filed a 1,624-page chargesheet in a special MCOCA court. The case relates to firing outside filmmaker Rohit Shetty’s home in Juhu. An official said 17 accused were named in the filing. Police said the attack aimed to show the gang’s dominance in the area.

The official said at least five rounds were fired at 12.45 am on February 1. The shots hit the first floor of Shetty’s nine-storey building. One bullet struck the glass of a gym inside the building. Police said 15 people were arrested, while two others remained wanted.

MCOCA chargesheet names Lawrence Bishnoi gang-linked wanted accused

Police named Shubham Lonkar and Arzoo Bishnoi as wanted accused. The official said both were linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Lonkar and Arzoo Bishnoi had taken responsibility for the incident through a social media post. The official added Lonkar was also wanted in two other cases.

The official said Lonkar was wanted in the NCP leader Baba Siddique murder case. Lonkar was also wanted for firing at actor Salman Khan’s residence in Bandra. Police did not give more details on those cases in the update. The MCOCA case focused on the Juhu firing.

MCOCA probe details recce, firing plan, and escape route

The official said the accused acted on directions from Lonkar. Police said they had surveyed Shetty’s house three times before the firing. Some of the accused consumed alcohol in a nearby area. After that, the alleged shooter left to carry out the plan.

Police said alleged shooter Deepak Sharma came to Juhu on the incident day. Three other accused were with Deepak Sharma, the official said. After the firing, they fled by autorickshaw to Kalyan in Thane district. The group later gathered at another accused’s house in Kalyan.

The official said the accused used Kalyan as a meeting point. One accused had lived in Kalyan for almost two years. After the meeting, police said they escaped by train to northern states. The official said they later hid at a location in Haryana.

MCOCA case arrests include Ritik Yadav and other suspects

The official said the Haryana hideout was arranged by Ritik Yadav. Police arrested Ritik Yadav in the case, the official said. Besides Deepak Sharma and Ritik Yadav, police arrested Sunny Thakur, Sonu, Jatin Bharadwaj, Vishal Thakur, Vishnu Kushwah, Aditya Gayaki, Siddharth Yenpure, Samarth Pomaji, Swapnil Sakat, and Asaram Fasale.

The official said the accused were aged between 20 and 25 years. Vishnu Kushwah is a cousin of alleged shooter Deepak Sharma, police said. The accused were caught from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. They knew each other, but lacked direct links with gang members held from Pune.

Police also detained Pravin, Shubham Lonkar’s brother, the official said. Pravin is in jail in another firing case. The official said Pravin was held for alleged conspiracy support. Police suspect involvement in weapon supply, money dealings, and influencing the accused.

The official said the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act was applied in the case. Police said the chargesheet set out the alleged roles of 17 accused. Two suspects remained wanted, while 15 arrests were already made. The investigation continued under MCOCA provisions, the official added.

With inputs from PTI